Today Magazine • April 2023

Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

HOUSE-HUNTING TEST

Here’s a multiple-choice quiz to test your animal acumen — is this photo:

• A walrus masquerading as a bird?

• A female cat with its signature whiskers posing as a male finch?

• A male house finch collecting nest material?

The photographer who took the photo in late March in a Canton backyard will surely confirm the correct choice — yet if someone really doesn’t know the answer, what would you think about their ability to see clearly?

And would you want him or her to pet-sit — or babysit — for you and your family?

Here’s hoping and praying for a good start to spring in your neck of the woods and throughout the Farmington Valley!

Photo by Wendy Rosenberg

CONTENTS

4 — A Health-Centric Century

The Canton Community Health Fund is the direct descendant of two vital Visiting Nurse Associations and champions a host of local initiatives

11 — High Hopes For Small Town

CCHF seeks to build on a heartfelt 105-year legacy of making a big impact in a small community

16 — Emergency Ancestry

CCHF’s lineage begins in 1918 — when a pandemic far worse than COVID rocked the world

18 — Mission Possible

Meet the nurse who personifed the heart and soul of CCHF’s mission after WW1 and through WW2

“ You can participate and … make a real diference — that’s the thing about small towns: Your voice can be heard ” — Sylvia Cancela

THE NUMBERS

$570,000 —25-year CCHF funding

LETTERS

COVER STORY KUDOS

A Well-Being Conundrum

A SHOW of hands, please — who would prefer health, safety and well-being to the opposite? Safe to say, everyone reading this magazine will raise their hands in afrmation. A local nonproft has aimed to elevate the health, safety and wellbeing of Canton residents for a quarter-century — with roots that trace back more than a century. Yes, the Canton Community Health Fund aka CCHF funds myriad initiatives and programs with this lofty goal in mind.

Have you ever wondered why we humans have, in a foundational way, the same goals and hopes and dreams … only to see those hopes crash and burn when disagreement ensues and confict erupts over how to best achieve those common goals and realize those shared dreams?

This question is among the notable conundrums of the human experiment, and a solution is difcult to pin down. Intuition tells me the best answer is connected to whom we’re asking — and will have a human-and-divine component, with primary reliance on the divine, yet with a key dose of human responsibility • BWD

Today Magazine • Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

Bruce William Deckert — Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

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Editorial Associate — Kayla Tyson

Contributing Photographer — Wendy Rosenberg

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Today Magazine’s March cover story featured a brief master class from Canton historian Kathy Taylor about the fascinating history of three village greens in her hometown

—CLICK HERE for our coverage

Today Magazine’s February cover story featured Avon High’s Abrahamic Bus Ride Against Hate on MLK Day and a visit from the only American to stay in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide

—CLICK HERE for our coverage

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290 West Main Street Avon, CT 06001

—Kathy Taylor • Canton Town Historian

I AM VERY HAPPY with how my article about the Canton village greens was presented — the photos from the current day and the Canton Historical Museum really made a diference. Thank you!

THE ARTICLE on the MLK Day Bus Ride was yet another enriching piece. It emphasized common grounds of faith that could bring more healing and tolerance in a ruptured society with glaring fault lines of thoughts that make us perceive others as diferent from us. Keep up the good work!

—Sana Syed • Simsbury

THANK YOU for the story about our Showroom of the Year award — it is way above and beyond! You write impeccably. I can’t thank you enough.

—Mark

Bonenfant • Avon Raymour & Flanigan

I WAS SURPRISED and delighted to see the article featuring Big Fish on Campus LLC and my work as a college admissions consultant. Thank you very much. I will share it on social media, and the timing is excellent.

—Denise Karp • Avon • Big Fish on Campus owner

THANK YOU so much for posting our event in the Today Calendar — this was a big success because we were SOLD OUT for our March 2nd event. A big thank-you to Today Online for your help in making that happen!

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CENTURY CELEBRATION

CCHF Marks 105 Years of Community Care

By Sylvia Cancela Special to Today Magazine

IT’S 1918. As World War I veterans return from overseas, the H1N1 infuenza pandemic continues to take lives every day all over the world, and in Canton. The Collinsville War Bureau sets up a makeshift emergency hospital at the Congregational Church in Collinsville for patients too ill to remain at home.

A new organization has arrived in town, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA ).

The nurses serve alongside the Connecticut State Guard and Canton’s two doctors, caring for patients during this unprecedented time. Thus the VNA’s mission, to champion the health, safety and wellbeing of Canton residents, begins. This mission has continued for a century, and remains as true and vital to our community today under the banner of the Canton Community Health Fund (CCHF ).

growing Canton community. In 1941, the VNA/Canton Public Health Nursing Association and American Red Cross became two independent entities, with the goal of better serving the unique needs of their communities. With this separation, the VNA became the Canton Visiting Nurse Association Inc. (CVNA).

The CVNA continued to partner with healthcare organizations whose

In the decades that followed the 1918 pandemic, the VNA worked closely with the Collinsville branch of the American Red Cross and other regional healthcare organizations to meet the evolving needs of a rapidly growing Canton community

residents against typhoid, using syringes sterilized in huge pots of boiling water. In 1962, Maher would begin a 30-year career as a Canton Visiting Nurse. Her legacy includes the reimagining and redevelopment of CVNA’s highly regarded home healthcare programming — look for Maher’s story on CCHF’s social media in the coming months.

One of the VNA’s pioneer nurses, Amada Furrer, began her service in 1922. By the time she retired in 1946, as a Canton Visiting Nurse, one can only imagine what she would have experienced in her practice.

Surely, she would have supported returning veterans looking to reconnect with their families, despite new physical and mental challenges.

She would have been a vital partner in the Canton school system, from kindergarten to high school. And her skills, compassion and experience would have touched multi-generations of Canton families, from prenatal through hospice care — see a sidebar article to learn more about Furrer.

In the decades that followed the 1918 pandemic, the VNA worked closely with the Collinsville branch of the American Red Cross and other regional healthcare organizations to meet the evolving needs of a rapidly

strategic goals were compatible with its mission to enhance the health, safety and well-being of the Canton community.

Case in point: In 1948, from June 28-30, the CVNA and the Connecticut State Board of Health co-sponsored Canton’s frst X-ray clinic. Tuberculosis was the ongoing concern at the time. Appointments for service ofered free of charge were available to any resident over the age of 15, and 1,600 individuals signed up.

Confdential reports of the results were made available to both the individual and the family physician. The clinic was funded by money raised by CVNA’s sale of American Red Cross Christmas Seal stamps.

Throughout the coming years of expansion and growth, CVNA remained steadfast to its vision as an in-community and personally connected resource. For example, CVNA was both Medicaid- and Medicarecertifed, but nevertheless used an accounting model where services were paid for on a sliding scale, depending on the individual resident’s ability to pay.

Many times, services and support were ofered free of charge.

A grateful community responded to the professionalism, skill and dedication of CVNA’s nurses with fnancial donations. Such generosity led to the creation of CVNA’s Memorial Fund, for the beneft of the Canton community.

IT’S 1955. Deadly food waters devastate Canton. Lois Maher, a new town resident and nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, is stranded at home. So she volunteers to vaccinate

Further paying it forward, in 1968 CVNA established the Canton Public Health Service (CPHS) Scholarship for graduating Canton High School students pursuing further education in public health. A follow-up study, conducted in 1981, found that over 75% of CPHS Scholarship recipients went on to careers in analytical chemistry, nursing, rehabilitation, physical and respiratory therapy, and psychology.

By the 1980s, Canton had the largest population of children in the Farmington Valley. In response, CVNA prioritized healthy development, safety

Photo by Tom Kutz Photography — 860-693-6254 —

Courtesy Photo

and wellness by launching the Well Child Conference in 1986. Countering the growing trend for fast check-in and checkout at other area clinics, CVNA director Colette Ostapko laid out a comprehensive plan to “keep our children healthy and our parents well-informed.”

The conference focused on: the latest healthcare training/education; handson nursing support; and strengthening relationships with the local/regional medical community. All programming and services were free of charge, for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years. Case management responsibilities for CVNA nurses could include everything from pre- and post-maternal and child checkups to providing guidance on development phases of childhood.

Well Child also extended from the home into the school system, where the “ladies in blue” were a regular fxture, providing frst aid for accidents and illnesses on school grounds.

And there was more change to come. In partnership with Dr. Edward Diters and CVNA’s all-volunteer board of directors, programming reorganized

under two main strategic operations: community nursing, to promote health and safety, and clinical programs, built around wellness and preventative services.

Community Nursing — In addition to prioritizing children, community nursing addressed other vulnerable populations in Canton by providing: medication compliance and community transitioning for residents struggling with mental health issues; treatment for chronic illnesses and diseases; postsurgical care; and occupational and physical therapy.

One of the most value-added components of community nursing was CVNA’s Loan Closet. Funded by CNVA’s Memorial Fund, the closet stored long-term medical equipment to assist those who were bedridden and short-term tools and apparatus such as wheelchairs, crutches, commodes and walkers. All of these items were ofered to residents free of charge. The closet was devised in response to what CVNA was hearing from Canton’s seniors — they wanted to remain in their own homes vs. going into institutional nursing homes.

Clinical Programs — CVNA nurses were hands-on, boots-on-the-ground and mission-ready through every life stage of Canton residents, whether coordinating monthly blood pressure testing; managing annual fu clinics for seniors; providing vaccines and physicals; ofering dental, vision and hearing screenings for schoolchildren; or furnishing nutritional counseling/ education and poison control for the community at large.

The CVNA’s enduring legacy wouldn’t be complete without a note

At his retirement dinner, $8300 in donations are collected — Diters insists that this funding be used as seed money for a new scholarship, available to a Canton resident pursuing an education in

OF DIRECTORS

For over 45 years, we’ve provided a safe and caring environment for residents to maintain an optimal quality of life!

on Canton’s doctors — specifcally, Dr. Ralph Cox and Dr. Diters. Their guidance, advocacy, mentoring and unbidden respect for the work of both VNA and CVNA helped pave the way for the community leadership and remarkable accomplishments of these nurses from 1918 to 1989. Diters’ personal legacy actually continues to this day.

IT’S 1989. Canton’s beloved family doctor, Edward Nelson Diters, retires after over 40 years of serving the community. At his retirement dinner, $8300 in donations are collected. Diters insists that this funding be used as seed money for a new scholarship, available to a Canton resident pursuing an education in a health-related feld.

In May 1990, Canton High School senior Nancy A. MacLaurin becomes the frst recipient of a $500 Dr. DitersCVNA Scholarship. Dr. MacLaurin is now a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in North Carolina — read more about Diters, MacLaurin and other successful scholarship recipients in upcoming CCHF social media posts.

By 1992, the town of Canton had begun transitioning its senior services to in-house programming, while still funding CVNA’s community health, safety and wellness initiatives. CVNA, meanwhile, started to focus on third-party reimbursement for its home-care operation.

By 1997, with Medicare funding and stafng needs

BOARD

Canton Community Health Fund

Seated • left-to-right — Jim Gavin • Sandy Trionfni • Jennifer Barlow Asaro

Standing • left-to-right — Nancy Triou • Deirdre Lloyd • Sylvia Cancela • Allie Southworth-Eck

Location • former ofce of CVNA – Canton Town Hall basement • Photo by Tom Kutz Photography

Board members not in photo — Janot Bente • Kathy Wood

growing, CVNA made a strategic decision to partner with a larger home-care organization. On June 27, 1997, CVNA entered into a merger agreement with a longtime community partner, McLean Community and Home Care Services, a division of the McLean Fund.

Importantly, in acknowledgement and appreciation of the Canton community’s many decades of fnancial generosity, the newly merged business partners agreed not only to transition CVNA’s mission to a new community entity, but also to fund it with 100% of the proceeds from the Memorial Fund and the Dr. Diters and CPHS Scholarships. What started in-community was to remain in-community.

IT’S DECEMBER 30, 1997. Canton Community Health Fund Inc. becomes the next generation to carry on the VNA and CVNA mission to contribute to the health, safety and well-being of the Canton community. +

Special thanks to — Kathy Taylor, Canton town historian

• Tom Ayres, president of Canton Historical Society

• Beth Van Ness, reference and adult services librarian — They shared many treasures found at the Canton Historical Museum and Canton Public Library’s Local History Room that informed this article •

• Canton resident Sylvia Cancela is the chair of Canton Community Health Fund — a writer and professional public relations consultant, Cancela is the founder and owner of Red Barn Communication LLC •

FURRY FACE TIME

A squirrel samples a berry in a Canton backyard — nuts, seeds and fruit are among their favorite foods

Photo by Wendy Rosenberg

Mission-Ready For A Century

Special to Today Magazine

CCHF chair Sylvia Cancela has answered this Q&A

Canton Community Health Fund Inc. • CCHF

P.O. Box 75 Collinsville, CT 06022

Email — info@CantonCommunityHealthFund.org

www.CantonCommunityHealthFund.org

Facebook — @CantonCommunityHealthFund

Year Established

1918 — as Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), which became Canton Visiting Nurse Association Inc. (CVNA) in 1941. In 1997, CVNA merged with McLean Community and Home Care Services, a division of the McLean Fund.

Once united, these business partners transitioned CVNA’s mission to a new community entity, the Canton Community Health Fund Inc., and funded it with CVNA’s Memorial Fund, the Dr. Diters Scholarship and the Canton Public Health Service Scholarship.

Mission

Contributing to the health, safety and well-being of the Canton community

Slogan

By, for and about Canton’s community

Most fulflling aspect of your work?

CCHF’s grants and scholarships are strategic investments in our community. Watching how these investments positively impact the health, safety and well-being of our fellow residents is the very defnition of our mission. And following our scholarship recipients, as they make a diference in the healthcare industry at large, further inspires our work as a board.

Your biggest obstacle, and how you overcome it?

CCHF’s all-volunteer board works closely with our community partners. They are the critical hands-on component of our mission. Many of them depend on the participation of volunteers, who can be a highly transitory resource, as every nonproft in town that depends on volunteers knows.

We have worked, and will continue to work, to ensure that our application and outcome-reporting processes do not add unnecessary bureaucracy or administrative burden to our community partners.

Most satisfying accomplishment?

After a century of service to our community, the legacy of CCHF’s mission is not only still relevant, but more important than ever. And because we have always been in-community, we see the beautiful irrefutable impact of CCHF’s funding

CCHF: Big Impact In Small Town

investments, every single day. There is less food insecurity among our neighbors. They are kept warmer in winter. They feel more empowered and less vulnerable.

Canton’s frst responders have new tools to protect us all. Individuals who want to pursue careers in healthcare have additional fnancial assistance to attend the colleges of their choice. There’s always more to be done. And we’ll be here for it.

Goals for the next 1-5 years?

• To Be More Dynamic vs. Transactional — By deepening our partnerships in the community, we will continue to proactively focus our funding-investments on the most important issues and opportunities trending and impacting Canton.

• To Tell Stories That Inspire — Whether it’s honoring CCHF’s legacy through the remarkable service and lives of Canton visiting nurses, celebrating our scholarship recipients as they make their marks throughout the healthcare industry, or sharing the humanity of CCHF’s community partners who are making a diference in our neighbors’ lives, this story-sharing will demonstrate what drives our board and makes us so proud to be from Canton. Anecdote illustrating how you fulfll your mission:

It’s 2022 — Canton is slowly moving beyond everything that the COVID pandemic brought to our community. CCHF stepped up to promote the health, safety and well-being of Canton by distributing nearly $50,000.00 in grants and scholarships. Through our community partners, CCHF’s grants helped underwrite and provide:

• Enhanced weekly meal plans for families who dealt with food insecurity.

• Memory care programming, training, education and supplies for Canton’s seniors and their caregivers.

• Lifesaving equipment for Canton’s frst responders to use during search and rescue emergencies.

• Empowerment for children and adults with disabilities, through weekly therapeutic horseback riding sessions and art classes.

• Support for a safe, substance-free environment for Canton’s High School seniors to, once again, gather and celebrate their graduation.

• Funds to pay for electric bills and fuel supplies — including the repair

of a heat pump so that a terminally ill resident could remain home with family.

In 2022, CCHF scholarships also contributed to and supported the ambitions of Canton High School seniors pursuing healthcare careers in: nursing, cancer research and forensic pathology. Read more about how CCHF’s grants and scholarships are making a diference in our upcoming social media posts.

How has the COVID pandemic impacted your work?

From 2020-2022, Canton Community Health Fund distributed over $100,000 to our community partners and to individuals pursuing careers in healthcare. In some cases, we funded well over the requested amount to more vulnerable populations in Canton who were especially impacted by the COVID pandemic. We were in the position to increase our support — so we did. And because we live and operate CCHF from Canton, the community knew it could rely on us.

Interesting stats + numbers:

Since 1998, CCHF has distributed:

• Over $70,000 in scholarships to individuals pursuing careers in healthcare.

• Over $500,000 in funding investments to community partners who directly and signifcantly enhance the lives of our neighbors.

Besides donations, how is your work funded?

Donations from the Canton community are the very basis of CCHF’s foundation — and we continue to count on them today. We do not have an outside corporate sponsor. And true to our legacy, remaining independent is primary in our ability to be fexible and responsive to the community.

As a private foundation, we continue to be 100% funded through the generosity of individuals who understand and support the critical importance of our mission. When people donate to CCHF, they know their money is going to support Canton residents.

continued on next page

Solo Show — Gallery on the Green Canton — thru Saturday 4/15

860-693-4102

cantonartistsguild@gmail.com

www.galleryonthegreen.org

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS

TWILIGHT • Oil • 20” x 20”

TERRE LEFFERTS

Member • Canton Artists’ Guild

Terre Leferts — her solo exhibit at Gallery on the Green is grounded in reverence for the natural world — her pastoral and coastal scenes refect her immersion in dual residencies in Connecticut and Maine

How closely do you work with other agencies/nonprofts?

They are our community partners. Like the Canton Visiting Nurse Association before them, our community partners are the hands, ears, eyes and voices — the critical “boots on the ground” — who inform our strategic and fnancial decisions. These collaborations help us fulfll our complementary missions to beneft our Canton neighbors.

What do you appreciate most about the Farmington Valley?

Every Valley town has its own unique identity that includes both complementary and contrasting characteristics: urban/rural, quirky/ traditional, historic/contemporary, liberal/conservative. But they all have small-town pride in common.

Importantly, you can participate in town government on a commission and in one (or more) nonproft community organizations or clubs — and you can make a real diference. That’s the thing about small towns. Your voice can be heard.

What constructive change would you like to see in the Valley?

Few people volunteer because they expect to be paid. And most town governments would acknowledge that without the time and skills provided by community volunteers, the business of running a small town would be signifcantly hampered.

So, how do you demonstrate appreciation and value for something that is priceless? How about turning the tables and supporting volunteer families? Progressive towns in the Farmington Valley are exploring ways to do this — providing discounts on property taxes, ofering gas cards to compensate for travel, and even distributing movie tickets and pool passes. It’s a start.

Volunteer info:

CCHF is managed by an all-volunteer board of directors who oversee the fund’s investment in addition to the promotion, assessment, decisionmaking and distribution of grants and scholarships. CCHF is always looking for individuals to actively

engage by sharing their talents, experience and knowledge to make a diference in our community — interested parties may apply at www.

CantonCommunityHealthFund.org > About Us > Join Us

Board of directors:

CCHF’s board is comprised of atalented and accomplished mix of professionals from the felds of law, marketing, business, healthcare, education, emergency services and fnance:

• Sylvia Cancela — chair

• Deidre Lloyd — vice chair

• Kathy Wood — treasurer

• Jennifer Barlow Asaro — marketing

• Nancy Triou — grants coordinator

• Janot Bente

• Jim Gavin

• Allie Southworth Eck

Number of employees:

We do not have paid staf. Further comment:

We invite Today Magazine’s readers to join us in supporting CCHF’s mission to contribute to the health, safety and

well-being of the Canton community. Canton residents may never know that their food, fuel, training or life-saving equipment, provided through our community partners, was funded in part by the Canton Community Health Fund. Your donation will support our mission and continue to make our work as silent partners possible.

• To donate via our PayPal account, go to our website: About Us > Make A Diference

• To donate via mail: Canton Community Health Fund P.O. Box 75, Collinsville CT 06022

• For opportunities to make individual or estate/legacy contributions, please contact CCHF treasurer Kathy Wood: kathleengwood@comcast.net

Whatever the next century brings may be unknown. What we do know is that Canton Community Health Fund will be in-community and missionready. On behalf of the CCHF board of directors, we thank you! +

www.cantoncommunityhealthfund.org

4.9” wide x 3.65” high

Because we have always been in-community, we see the beautiful irrefutable impact of CCHF’s funding investments, every single day ... There’s always more to be done — and we’ll be here for it

CCHF History Traces To 1918 Flu Pandemic

By Bruce Deckert Editor-in-Chief • Today Magazine

IN THIS EDITION of Today Magazine, we spotlight the history and current work of the Canton Community Health Fund, aka CCHF — a community-building nonproft that traces its roots back more than a century, to 1918.

The math is straightforward: 2023 is the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) — the CCHF’s ancestral organization that was established in 1918. In 1941, the VNA became the Canton Visiting Nurse Association (CVNA).

In 1997, the CVNA merged with a McLean visiting nurse group, and in the process bequeathed a key component of this community-focused initiative to a new organization — you guessed it, the Canton Community Health Fund.

The VNA was formed in the midst of the H1N1 infuenza pandemic of 1918-19 — by far the worst pandemic in modern history in terms of the number of reported deaths, according to the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources.

The CDC estimates that at least 50 million people worldwide died during this horrifc pandemic, which began as World War I was concluding in 1918. Those 50 million deaths represented 3.3% of the global population of about 1.5 billion people at the time. Other sources say the death toll reached as high as 100 million.

By comparison, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted

WWI Pandemic Far Worse Than COVID

in 6.8 million people dying worldwide as of March 2023, according to the Switzerland-based World Health Organization (WHO). Those 6.8 million COVID deaths represent 0.0008% of today’s global population of about 7.9 billion people.

During the 1918-19 infuenza pandemic, about 500 million people worldwide became infected with the H1N1 virus, according to the CDC — one-third of the global population then.

By comparison, since the COVID pandemic began in 2019, slightly less than one-tenth of the world’s current population has been infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The 1918 infuenza pandemic is often called the Spanish fu outbreak, but historical sources say this is an unfair misnomer. Another name for this record-setting pandemic is the Great Infuenza. A groundbreaking book by author John M. Barry utilizes that term — “The Great Infuenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History” — published in October 2005.

It’s inaccurate to pinpoint Spain as the source of this fu horror story. The geographic origin of the 1918 outbreak is unknown — or at least not universally agreed on by historians and medical professionals.

Let’s return to Canton, Connecticut, and our cover story on a small organization called the CCHF that aims to give back and make a big diference in the local community. Just in case it isn’t clear — yes, the origin of our cover story is in this edition of Today Magazine. +

Sources • World Health Organization (WHO)

• U.S. Census Bureau • History.com

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Library of Medicine — afliate of National Institutes of Health

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The VNA was formed in the midst of the worst pandemic in modern history

Unearthing History: The Discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian Site Along the Farmington River

MARCH 23

The LIDAR Revolution in Earth

Surface Mapping, presented by Will Ouimet, Assoc Professor, Departments of Geosciences and Geography, Univ of Connecticut He will explain the techniques used by LIDAR for locating historic human settlements and land use patterns

LIDAR = Light Detection and Ranging using lasers for 3D scanning

APRIL 20

Hunting Techniques of the Paleoindian, presented by Richard Boisvert, retired New Hampshire state archeologist, who is very familiar with the discovery and analysis of the Brian D. Jones (BDJ) site and other Paleoindian sites in northern New England.

SEPT. 21

Paleoindian Sites, Site Patterning and Travel

Corridors along the Southern Arm of the Champlain Sea, presented by Jess Robinson, Vermont State Archaeologist, Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center, Barre, VT. He will compare and contrast Paleo sites in Vermont with the Brian D. Jones site in Avon.

OCT. 12

Update on the scientific analysis of the Brian D Jon (BDJ) site in Avon, CT 2019, presented by Eric Heffter, Senior Prehistoric Archaeologist, Archaeological and Historical Services, Storrs, CT His presentation will be 90 minutes with time after for Q&A October is Archaeology Month in Connecticut!

in Avon, CT with

MAY 11

The Big Importance of Small Things: Microscopic and Blood Residue Analysis of Ancient Stone Tools, presented by Heather M. Rockwell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Cultural and Historic Preservation, Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation Program, Salve Regina University. This presentation will examine the process and limitations of blood residue and use-wear analysis, and how they have contributed to our understanding of ancient people.

Photoprovidedby Archaeological andHistorical Services,StorrsCT

Watch the webinars from the 2021 and 2022 series on the Avon Library’s YouTube Channel: www youtube com/user/afplct

Webinar series created by : Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library, Avon Senior Center

2023 series sponsored by a grant from

Amada Furrer – Canton Visiting Nurse • Career History

AMADA FURRER – Canton Visiting Nurse • 1922 -46

1918 — Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) established

1941 — VNA becomes Canton Visiting Nurse Association

1997 Canton Community Health Fund ( CCHF) founded

——————————————————————————————————————————————–———

Training — St. Mark’s Hospital – NYC

Employer — Canton Visiting Nurse Association

Canton Town Hall Ofce – Phone : #588

Title — Canton Public Health Nurse

Work Schedule — 1940 – Monday thru Friday – 44 hours

Annual Salary — 1940 – $1560

Professional Highlights

1922 — Joined Visiting Nurse Association , Canton Chapter

1940 — Appointed head nurse for Canton school system — this new position was in addition to her duties as Canton town nurse

1941 — Canton Visiting Nurse Association (CVNA) conducts a town-wide fundraiser to purchase a new car for Furrer

1946 — Furrer retires after 24 years of service to the Canton community •

• At the monthly meeting of the Canton Public Health and Nursing Association, Furrer was gifted with a gold broach “ in recognition of her unfailing and valuable service here during the past twenty years ” •

• “ The people of Canton will miss Mrs. Furrer, as she not only faithfully fulflled her duties as the Public Health Nurse, but was also a friend to all those who needed her help, and spent many extra hours, outside of her regular duties, in doing Social Welfare work ” •

“Mrs. Furrer … was also a friend to all those who needed her help, and spent many extra hours, outside of her regular duties, in doing Social Welfare work”

• “ Mrs. Furrer was always cheerful, and always glad to do the many little extra favors that were asked of her, without any thought to her own personal health. It is for these things, that the Town of Canton thanks her for a job well done ” •

Community Involvement

1940 — Captain, American Red Cross sale of Christmas Seal stamps — 85% of proceeds remained in Canton to combat tuberculosis and other lung diseases

1942 — Executive Committee Member, Salvation Army War Relief Drive — Acting Health Nurse, Canton Defense Council Evacuation Committee

1943 — Community Volunteer, American Red Cross Blood Drive, which raised 145 pints from and for Canton residents

1944 — Chairperson for Home Nursing: American Red Cross, Canton chapter

Furrer was also a member of Canton Nurses Club , Cawasa Grange of Collinsville, Canton Rebekah Lodge and St Patrick’s Church, Collinsville

Personal — Amada Furrer and her husband Adolph lived in Collinsville for 43 years, where they raised their two children , Carl and Edith • Their family would grow to include three grandchildren and three great- grandchildren •

On September 23, 1964, at the age of 82, Furrer died after a long illness • She is buried alongside her husband at Greenwood Cemetery in Avon +

Signature of Amada Furrer — image courtesy of Canton historical sources

NURSING HISTORY — TENDING + MENDING

• In November 1986, Colette Ostapko cares for a young patient via the Well Child initiative sponsored by the Canton Visiting Nurse Association — she was director of the CVNA

• The Visiting Nurse Association aka VNA was established in 1918 and became the CVNA in 1941 — the Canton Community Health Fund aka CCHF was founded as an ofshoot in 1997

• The CVNA began its Well Child initiative in October 1986 — before this, such programming was shared with Avon and Farmington, but those towns merged their services without Canton, says CCHF chair Sylvia Cancela

This photo appeared in the Farmington Valley Herald on November 6, 1986 — the Herald was a weekly newspaper published from 1890 through 2005, according to SimsburyRecords.webs.com

By the 1980s, Canton had the largest population of children in the Farmington Valley ... CVNA nurses were hands-on, boots-on-the-ground and mission-ready through every life stage of Canton residents

Photo by Randy McGovern — Farmington Valley Herald

Scholarship Recipient Giving Back

VALLEY INTEL SCHOOL SCOOP

DEVIN KADIS

Dr. Diters Scholarship Recipient

• Devin Kadis received the Dr. Diters Scholarship in 2017 — the scholarship is awarded by the Canton Community Health Fund aka CCHF

• See page 4 for our CCHF cover story

Training — Colorado State University

B.S. in kinesiology • 2021

Employer — National Ability Center Park City, Utah

Title — Groups and Military Program Supervisor

Professional Highlights

Devin supervises recreational therapy for people of various abilities — physical, cognitive or intellectual — and other challenges. She also works specifcally with veterans who have physical disabilities and with those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and/or military sexual trauma.

Devin hosts groups of 15 to 30 veterans, from all over the country, for overnight retreats where she leads them in a wide variety of recreational programming, including mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, whitewater rafting and many other outdoor opportunities. Many of these veterans have not left

HOUSE CALL

A mother house wren captures a moth — this songbird has one of the largest ranges of any songbird in the world — from Canada to southernmost

SNOW PROBLEM-SOLVING

—Devin Kadis helps Jamie relearn how to snowboard after she sufered the loss of her right leg to a traumatic injury — A scholarship recipient via CCHF, Kadis is a supervisor at the National Ability Center in Utah — Jaime is training for the Paralympics

their homes in years. This life-changing programming benefts them now and in the future as they look forward to more adventures to come.

Value of Dr. Diters Scholarship

“The Dr. Diters Scholarship allowed me to explore my options without the strain of fnances being the issue. I was very lucky to have scholarships like this one that allowed me to volunteer, intern and shadow diferent healthcare felds so I could be certain which career path I wanted to take.” —

Future Plans

Devin Kadis

Devin plans to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy in the fall of 2024:

“Eventually, I aspire to help rehabilitate veterans with disabilities,” she says, “and create a program that helps feed into a better healthcare system for all veterans.”

Personal

“My brother inspired me to enter this feld. He has faced more challenges than most, but he never quit, and I knew that was the type of person I wanted to surround myself with for the rest of my life. This feld allows me to make it through the tough days and remember that what I do truly makes a diference in someone’s life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” — Devin Kadis +

Photo by Wendy Rosenberg

• This is a list of advertising sponsors who have seen the value of investing in Today Magazine’s award-winning journalism as we cover the heart of the Farmington Valley — this is intended to be a comprehensive list

• If you have advertised with Today Publishing but don’t see your business or organization listed, please contact us so we can add you to our Advertiser Hall of Fame — advertise@todaypublishing.net

Anthology Senior Living — 860-546-8037 — Simsbury www.anthologyseniorliving.com > Location

Avon Health Center — 860-673-2521 — Avon www.avonhealthcenter.com

Avon Historical Society — 860-678-7621 — Avon www.avonhistoricalsociety.org

A Teen Edge — 860-593-2822 www.ateenedge.com

Board and Brush — 860-392-8567 — Simsbury www.boardandbrush.com/simsbury

Canton Barn LLC — 860-693-0601 — Canton www.cantonbarn.com

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Canton Food Bank — 860-693-5811 — Canton www.townofcantonct.org

Carmon Funeral Homes — 860-673-8610 www.carmonfuneralhome.com

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Carol Cole Real Estate — 860-212-0687 — Canton www.carolcolerealestate.com

Cherry Brook Health Care Center — 860-693-7777 — Canton www.cherrybrookhcc.com

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Christensen Insurance — 860-651-8236 — Simsbury www.insuranceagentswhocare.com

Christopher Bryant Co. — 860-243-3500 — Bloomfeld www.thechristopherbryantcompany.com

Collinsville Bank — 860-693-6935 — Canton www.collinsvillebank.com

Connecticut Dance Academy — 860-707-4198 — Canton www.ctdanceacademy.com

Connecticut Headshots — 860-263-9277 — Avon www.connecticutheadshots.com

Dynamic Auto Works — 860-693-6359 — Canton www.facebook.com/DynamicAutoCanton

Erica Maglieri: Realtor — 860-324-6842 bhhsneproperties.com/real-estate-agent/757/erica-maglieri

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Fresh Start Pallet Products — 860-266-5726 — Hartford www.freshstartpalletproducts.org

Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce — 860-651-7307 www.simsburycoc.org

Green Door Restaurant — 860-693-9762 — Canton www.41bridgestreet.com

Habitat for Humanity — 860-541-2208 — Hartford www.hfhncc.org

Hartford Symphony Orchestra — 860-246-8742 — Hartford www.hartfordsymphony.org

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HealthMarkets Insurance — 860-307-1128 — Torrington www.healthmarkets.com — Mel Brickman

Hulme & Sweeney Pianos — 860-408-4895 — Simsbury www.hulmesweeneypianoservice.com

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Karedigs.com — 860-379-4340 — Barkhamsted www.karedigs.com

Kerian Home Health Care — 860-851-6267 — Simsbury www.keriancares.com

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Kevin Witkos: State Senator

Landscape Solutions — 860-329-2014 — New Hartford www.landscapesolutionsct.com

Leslee Hill for State Representative ———————————————————————————————

Lifetime Family Dentistry — 860-605-2075 — Collinsville www.lifetimefamilydentistryct.com

Linda Kessler: Realtor — 860-836-6172 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents

Liza Sivek Marketing — 203-278-5492 www.lizasivekmarketing.com

Maglieri Construction — 860-242-0298 — Bloomfeld www.maglieri-construction.com

Magna Physical Therapy — 860-679-0430 — Avon www.magnapt.com

Maher’s Paint & Wallpaper — 860-678-1200 — Avon + Simsbury www.maherspaintandwallpaper.com

Make It GF — 860-693-1300 — Canton www.makeitgf.com

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Mandel Vilar Press — 806-790-4731 — Simsbury www.mvpublishers.org

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Massage Envy — 860-693-8000 — Canton www.massageenvy.com > Locations

The Master’s School — 860-651-9361 — West Simsbury www.masterschool.org

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McLean — 860-658-3786 — Simsbury www.mcleancare.org

Nails of Envy — formerly Canton + Avon Northwest Community Bank — 860-379-7561 www.nwcommunitybank.com

Odalys Bekanich: Realtor — 860-965-3652 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents

Peggy’s Personalized Promos — 860-379-7775 — New Hartford www.peggys.biz

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Planning Partners LLC — 860-693-9916 — Canton www.planningpartner.com

Raimie Weber Jewelry — 860-409-3400 — Avon www.rweberjewelry.com

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Randy Brolo: Book Author www.lulu.com > Spirit of Delilah

Ravenswood Natural Health — 860-264-1587 — Simsbury www.ravenswoodnaturalhealth.com

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Richman Business Brokerage — 860-408-9177 — Simsbury www.richmanbusiness.com — formerly The Deal Team

Suburban Sanitation Service — 860-673-3078 — Canton www.subsanserv.com

Trading Post — 860-693-4679 — Canton www.tradingpostmusic.com

Transition Fitness Center — 860-398-1449 — Canton www.transition-ftness-center.business.site

UConn Health — 860-658-8750 www.health.uconn.edu

Up Top Barbershop — 860-658-4499 — Simsbury www.booksy.com > Up Top Barbershop

Vincent Funeral Homes — 860-693-0251 www.vincentfuneralhome.com

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Vincent Tully: Realtor — 860-214-3030 www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agent

Welden Hardware — 860-658-4078 — Simsbury www.weldenhardware.com

William Raveis — 860-693-2987 — Avon www.raveis.com/agentfnd.asp?smart=1

The Village: Second Chance Shops — 860-236-4511 www.thevillage.org/second-chance-shops